Sentinel Summary

China's military leadership faces its most dramatic purge since Xi Jinping's early consolidation of power. Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Youxia was removed and placed under corruption investigation on January 25, alongside Chief of the General Staff Liu Zhenli. The Wall Street Journal reported allegations that Zhang leaked confidential information about China's nuclear weapons program to the United States, though AFP noted it was unable to verify the report independently. The purge creates short-term operational risks for the People's Liberation Army while underscoring Xi's absolute control over the military apparatus, with immediate implications for Taiwan contingency planning.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to Beijing on January 28-29 marked the first by a British premier in eight years, yielding tangible agreements including reduced tariffs on UK whisky from 10% to 5% and progress on visa-free travel discussions. Despite raising concerns about Hong Kong media figure Jimmy Lai and the Uyghur minority situation, the visit signals Western leaders' renewed engagement with Beijing amid uncertainty under U.S. leadership, following similar trips by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Escalating Japan-China tensions manifested across diplomatic, economic, and military domains. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's controversial statement on January 26 that Japan could not remain neutral if U.S. forces were attacked in a Taiwan Strait crisis prompted sharp rebuke from China's UN Ambassador Fu Cong, who called it gross interference in China's internal affairs. China imposed measures restricting dual-use item exports to Japan citing national security concerns. All flights on 49 China-Japan routes were canceled in February 2026, and Japan's Consul General position in Chongqing has remained vacant for over a month as China has not approved Japan's appointment of a successor.